A CTV affiliate in northern Ontario is looking to break away from the network following a squabble over local and national airtime, and has turned to the CRTC for permission to run Global programming instead. CHFD Thunder Bay — a CTV affiliate since the early ’70s — claims proposed changes to its commercial agreement with the network would take a 45% bite out of its revenue and that of its parent company Thunder Bay Electronics, leaving both ‘financially non-viable.’ CHFD wants to go independent so that, according to the loaded phrasing of its CRTC submission, it can ‘preserve the ability for the local station… to serve the local community.’ CTV has for many months been at the forefront of the Local TV Matters campaign in its effort, with other networks, to win CRTC approval of fee-for-carriage.

• ACTRA is handing its National Award of Excellence to Eugene Levy. The SCTV veteran will receive the honor next Thursday in L.A., at the residence of consul general David Fransen. Previous recipients include Sandra Oh, Kiefer Sutherland and Leslie Nielsen.

• Being Erica star Erin Karpluk has landed a recurring role on the new CW series Life Unexpected, stepping in as the boss to stars Shiri Appleby and Kerr Smith. Word on a third season of Erica is expected shortly from CBC.

• Veteran development exec Jillianne Reinseth has joined Cookie Jar Entertainment as its new VP of development — working on all new projects in Canada including those of Cookie’s teen and adult label, The Jar.

• Showcase has picked up Woke Up Dead, adding the U.S.-made zombie comedy to its website. The 22 x 5 series, seen previously on the video site Crackle, stars Jon Heder (Napolean Dynamite) as a down-and-out twentysomething turned undead hero.

______________________________ This story has been corrected. Levy is to receive the ACTRA trophy on Jan. 21, not Jan. 14 as originally reported.